Rhodes

Cornell President Emeritus Frank H.T. Rhodes has been named the inaugural trustee emeritus of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).

Rhodes, who has been involved with Saudi Arabia's KAUST since fall 2006 when KAUST was just a concept, was part of the seminal team advising the university founders. He concludes his role as a board trustee this month.

At a recent dinner in his honor, Rhodes, who served as Cornell's president from 1977 to 1995, was commended for playing "a vital role" in helping to found the postgraduate university, which opened in 2009.

"He provided an intellectual direction and academic rigor that, while intangible, is as enduring as -- and perhaps more vital than -- the physical foundations of the buildings themselves," said Ali Ibrahim Al-Naimi, chairman of the KAUST board of trustees and Saudi Arabia's minister of petroleum and mineral resources, speaking on behalf of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who financed the university.

"He embraced the king's vision and helped us make it a reality -- but not before, like any good scientist -- posing a number of difficult questions. He was insistent that for such an audacious plan to work, the university must be underpinned by academic freedom. …

"It was Dr. Rhodes who helped formulate the vision of the king into a single charter. He firmly believed that, at its heart, KAUST must show a determination to advance science and engineering for the welfare of all mankind," remarked Al-Naimi.

Rhodes was also credited for sharing the intricacies of higher education with the king as he planned the university. In a speech at the groundbreaking ceremony, the king noted that Rhodes celebrated the institution's "bold vision and innovative design" that promised to "make it a place of transforming influence and enduring significance." He later said of Rhodes, "This is indeed a great man."

Rhodes was also credited for acting "as a compelling champion to bring students of excellence to the university, brokering and maintaining many of the international links that have jump-started the research," according to a KAUST press release.

"Frank has left his fingerprints not just in his vision for the academic model, but everywhere at KAUST," commented Mohamed Samaha, senior vice president for economic and technology development. "Frank is its unseen intellectual architect."